Girl home from hospital after pit bull attack

Newport News, Va. – There were more than 200 stitches in the head of 6-year-old Yonni DuBose after a pit bull attacked her.

“Is there a sense of guilt, how does the family feel?” a man who lives inside the home of the dog’s owner was asked.

“Nah, no sense of guilt, it’s, we feel sorry for what happened to tell you the truth we do. We do have remorse because I would hate to have that happen to anybody,” said Wayne Carter, the dog owner’s fiancé.

The pit pinned Yonni, before piercing the first grader’s ankle so badly she’s on crutches.

Yonni came home from the hospital on Wednesday. The dressing on her head has to be changed three times a day and she says she’s worried her classmates will tease her since half her hair is gone.

The 3-year-old pit bull “Cush” has a violent past. Newport News Animal Control says it bit two children since last May.

In one case witness accounts differed greatly on whether the dog was provoked. In November’s incident, the victim’s parent declined to press charges.

Carter wouldn’t say what set the dog off this time, he wasn’t home when Yonni was mauled by Cush Sunday afternoon.

The dog was surrendered by its owners today, and will be put down within the next week.

“It was pretty tough on her because the dog ain’t really violent but somehow something went crazy,” Carter said.

Charges to Carter’s fiancé are pending an investigation. The dog that attacked Yonni was behind on its rabies shots, so Yonni is not only recovering from the attack, but also has to be treated to see if she has rabies.

31 comments

Clotus_Jones

You’re joking right? And considering that the dog HAS ATTACKED TWO OTHER KIDS! Did those other kids provoke that dog?? Frankly, considering the past this dog has, it needed to be put down! And now that poor girl gotta go through a series of shots, no joke by a long shot, from what I hear!

Kendra

A dog might turn around a snip a child for being annoying and that might be one thing but ripping half her scalp off is another . Any dog that can be that eaisly provoked to kill a person child or adult should not be a pet this girl was lucky and so are the owners that she was not killed. It doesn’t matter what kind of dog if it is not a safe dog to have around people it is irresponsible to own it much less let it near people

blackhawkmom

Pits may be great dogs, BUT, the potential for this type of action by this breed is very well known. If just pulling their tail is reason for an attack, then these dogs should only be owned by people who live no where near others. And, one may be very sorry if they own pits and have children in the home.

Typical pit bull owner. No regrets about a mauled child (she wasn’t bitten, she was MAULED). Lie as their first reaction to anything (the dog isn’t violent). Blame the victim. The pit bull needs to be put down NOW so its head can be sent for a rabies check to spare this little girl the just-in-case treatment. The owners of this monster dog need to be forced to pay all her medical bills, if need be by selling their house or a lien on all their income for the rest of their lives.
And legislators need to be seriously ashamed of themselves for catering to this kind of lying, child-hating sociopath, choosing them above our children.

This undog needs to be put down now.
Pit bulls maul, maim and kill more than ALL the other 400 plus breeds combined, and yet pit bulls only make up less than 5% of the total dog population…it isn’t rocket science people.

Clotus_Jones

kaila

If actual research was done you will know that most dog bites and dog attacks come from Chihuahuas, and smaller breeds yet none are reported due to their small size and bites aren’t usually fatal.did you know that the most known aggressive dog out there is actually the Dalmatian not pit bulls the real blame should be put on the owners for not raising the pit bull properly.although Pit bulls may have a very muscular and stocky body frame and have strong jaws, they are very sweet and well tempered and can be very protective of their owners.unfortunately pit bulls get a bad rep only because they are prime dogs for fighting. Any dog can be raised to be good but its all on the owners to take the time and train the dog. Sincerely, the owner of a pit bull

blackhawkmom

kaila

Its unfortunate when a dog attack happens..i wish so many people would stop blaming the breed. In some cases yes it is the breed and they should be put down but a lot of people make it seem as if its the breeds entire fault. Its really not. Quit being so arrogant, especially if you yourself have never owned a pit bull. And if you must know I live in the city around many people and have a newborn daughter with our pit bull and our German shepherd mix. Both dogs are very protective of Her but both are extremely friendly and all they crave is attention and love not only from us but from other people. We’ve had both pups since they were 8 weeks old and they are fantastic. Please don’t judge me for the type of dog I own. You are naive and arrogant to be saying that kind of thing to me.

kaila

Still so ignorant…I love my dogs and I love my daughter to the moon and back. You take a chance with any dog. I will say that if my dogs were to turn on my daughter yes they would be put out in a heartbeat. But my family have done research and know what it takes to care for any dog. We actually take the time to love and be with our dogs. Please I beg you to do research be for you attack my family and the type of dog we own. I feel sorry for your children especially if they are being brought up by someone so close minded as you.

freeveggie

Mr./Ms. Clotus Jones,this has nothing to do with race or being a pitbull, per se. This has everything to do with being a responsible owner, which these people were obviously not REGARDLESS of color. First, knowing this dog’s temperment there should never have been any opportunity for him to have come into contact with others, and as we see this is not the first time this dog has bitten someone. This pup should have had some sort of restraint when outdoors, whether by a fenced yard and/or by timely walks on a leash. He never should have had the chance to bite anyone. Second, these people definitely show they are not responsible by not keeping his rabies shots up to date – he should have been to the vet each year and considering that a rabies shot lasts 3 years this really tells a story about his custodians. There is more then one victim here and I also would like to put the dog on that list as since he definitely suffered by not having a responsible home. So let’s stop spreading hate – instead let’s all work toward a solution.

Debbie Bell

A good beagle gets loose, it chases rabbits.

A good border collie gets loose, it nips ankles but immediately let’s go, so the other can move. That’s the border collie’s goal: to make others move.

A good pitbull gets loose it bites for no reason and doesn’t stop. The goal of a good pit is the mauling that’s why they don’t let go. It is never the dogs’ fault, it is the fault of the pit breeders, pit buyers, all the pit BULLY people that these most tragically handicapped dogs have invaded our communities.

Pits are different. That’s why all North American dog fighters use only pits.

Mitch

Sad story....

I’m sorry for the little girl. I’m sorry the she wasn’t being watched well enough to prevent the attack. I’m sorry for the dog because it wasn’t raised properly to be a loving animal (which it could’ve been). Im sorry Crush has to be put to sleep because of irresponsible owners. This whole scenario could’ve been avoided. Very sad.

erin

TYPICAL PITBULL OWNER?????!!!!! Let me tell you a little about a typical pitbull owner… They are loving, trusting, caring people who will give up the world to save a LIFE regardless of the pressures it puts on them. TYPICAL PITBULL OWNERS will spen hours looking for a home for their family so that their dog will not have to face death in a shelter, they spend countless hours fighting against people who are ignorant to the breed, they love with no limits and see past misrepresentation and hatred UNLIKE NON TYPICAL PITBULL OWNERS SUCH AS YOURSELF. I assume you are the TYPICAL POCKET DOG OWNER who keeps your little furball in a purse while it growls at everything and anything!! It is a shame what happened to this little girl and yes the dog should have undergone evaluation and euthenasia if needed the first time it attacked a child in this case the owners and animal control failed NOT THE BREED! I Hope those leaving these unjustified, unintelligent, uneducated comments are not people whom my children learn from because those are not the kind of people i want anywhere near my children as that kind of hatred and ignorance are more dangerous than any pittie they have ever come in contact with!!!

what?

What are you talking about clotus? Where in the article does it state the COLOR of the owners? And, so what!!!!???? This is obvious irresponsibility by the owners and unfortunately by the parents of the poor little child that was mauled.Don’t trust ANY dog around your child that can hurt them!!!There are too many of these per year (roughly 3 deaths per month in the US by dog attacks) That does not include incidents like this.Look it up. Nobody cares about the color except dimwits like you. SMH

kristies4angels

Exactly where in this article Clotus͵ Jones does it state that the owners of the dog were African American? We can clearly see from the photo that the innocent child that was mauled is but no where does it show or state the owners are. So therefore you are the one racial profiling by assuming the owners are. So who is racist here? Really think for one you need yo get your facts straight before you make such foolish comments and two how about showing a little sympathy for this child! Rambling on about youe ancestors!?! Irrelevant in this matter.

Deb

I have a Pitt that thinks she is a 20 lb lap dog. The breed has been given the bad rep because of irresponsible owners. The pups aren’t born mean. People do that. I agree that before adopting one that the home is checked out and maybe some questions asked about the people who want them. Pitts are high energy in most cases and can’t just be throw out in the yard and left. Like any bored dog or child for that matter they will get themselves into trouble. Again it’s the owners fault, not the dogs.

E. A

Coming from a resident in this complex where this took place, this was no ones fault but the dogs owners! Clearly they are irresponsible & definitely need to pay & suffer consequences! This dog runs out ALL the time! Runs in others homes, etc… That girl doesn’t like dogs & is scared of them! By no means did she pull on him! Let alone touch him at all! Excuses need to stop! She’s a child!!! She shouldn’t not, not be able to play outside!! Owners need to suffer consequences!!! Stop the excuses!!! Irresponsibility 100%.

gloria

Dear God I pray for one of your children who only came out to play. Please take away her fear Lord allow her to heal better then she was. Bless her and her familly. In the name of Jesus I pray suffer not the children. AMEN.

Perry Rotzell

Mitch

“Nah, no sense of guilt” AND no rabies shots! Well, isn’t THAT special.
Irresponsible pet owners abound. Leash laws?? They don’t apply to THEIR dog. Doesn’t matter the breed. I have been menaced by Labs to Shih Tzus.
Children should be allowed to play outside without fear of ANY dog. This child IS NOT at fault. If this dog was on a leash and bit the child…it was the OWNER’S fault. If the dog were loose and bit her, it was the OWNER’S fault. If the child was able to get into the owner’s yard with an animal that has bitten before, guess what? IT WAS THE OWNER’S FAULT. (DISCLAIMER: I do believe ALL children should be taught how to act around animals. Teasing an animal is NEVER acceptable and private property must be respected.)
I have owned a dog that wasn’t neighbor kid friendly. I built a a six foot fence and locked all gates. She was allowed outside under supervision.
My dog attended obedience school and was very responsive to our commands. She was a wonderful watch dog and pet (never once did she growl or threaten my kids, even when they dressed her and painted her nails), but she was a one family dog and I took the precautions that were necessary to protect the public and my much beloved pet.
I feel for the animals; pit bull or poodle, poor breeding or just crazy, abused or pampered, humans make the decisions that ultimately decide their fate.
The child in this story had to have 200 stitches to close the wounds on her head. Thankfully, the wounds were on her scalp. She could have lost her eyesight, suffered permanent nerve damage or DIED! A pit bull is responsible for the damage this time. It is a irrefutable fact. Instead of trying to blame the victim, because of the negative publicity brought to their preferred breed of dog, bully lovers should insist that laws be created and enforced to protect these animals from irresponsible breeders and owners. I, for one, would support them in their fight. The Chihuahua biting argument just makes people angry. Chihuahuas seldom maul their victims. You can stomp on a yap-yap dog and stop an attack, you can’t do that with a pit bull and no one knows this better than a bully owner.
Euthanasia will ensure that a problem dog doesn’t bite again, but unless these owners are fined into oblivion and are prohibited from owning another dog, chances are more poor animals will suffer similar fates at their irresponsible hands.
After all, “Nah, no sense of guilt” there!!!

Mica

I am the mother of a little girl who was mauled by a Pit bull, and I have heard all the excuses and reasons why we should not blame the dog, but blame the owner. In our case the dog was a very well loved and cared for dog . He had all his shots, and he lived in a home with a small child. One afternoon the owner was walking the dog and the dog just snapped, he broke away from his owner and ran down my street where my beautiful 6 year old daughter was playing in my front yard with her friend. As my little girl turned around the dog attacked her face! The owner started beating her dog to try to get him off of her, after several minutes she torn the dog away as my little girl ran to me I was sprayed with her blood as I held her close! as I called 911 I could feel her go limp and i knew I was losing my little girl! the three fire fighters who brought my little girl back to life, will forever be my hero’s.My little girl spent her 7th birthday, witch was 4 days after the attack hiding in our house, because she didn’t want anyone to see her face! My beautiful little girl lost her bottom lip and both her cheeks on that day and the last punture wound was right above her jugular vein!It has been 7 years since that day, and after 3 surgeries she still has scars, but the worst scars are the ones you can’t see! She has nightmares every night! This family of this little girl are facing a long road ahead of them, they need love and support! My love and prayers go out to them.

Mitch

I am sorry for all that your daughter and family have been through.
I still have a problem with people owning animals that they physically cannot control. It is odd that I seem to be defending pit bulls, but I have seen 110 pound girl trying to walk not one, but two unruly Rottwilers. These dogs obviously were loved, but they could snap, too. The “break away dog” is a danger, whether attacking or running into traffic.
Dogs of power should always be owned by people who can handle them.